The first 17 acts for 2013’s MidPoint
Music Festival — coming up Sept. 26-28 at venues throughout
Over-the-Rhine (plus a few Downtown) — were announced on May 3, boasting
great names like The Breeders, Cody ChesnuTT, Foxygen and The Head and
the Heart.

Now we have another handful of artists heading to MPMF confirmed.

Occupying this year’s “pioneer” role is
Shuggie Otis, who, after a few low-profile decades (not by choice; he
insists he’s never “retired”), is back in the spotlight and touring in
support of Legacy Recordings’ 2013 re-issue of Inspiration Information and the compilation Wings of Love
(packaged as a double album). Otis is probably known best in the
mainstream for his song “Strawberry Letter 23,” which was covered and
turned into a hit by Brothers Johnson. Otis’ guitar prowess is also well
known to fans and music scholars — the son of R&B pioneer Johnny
Otis, The Rolling Stones reportedly asked him to join the band in the
mid-’70s (he declined).

Though his career didn’t reach the
heights supporters like B.B. King and Frank Zappa thought his talents
deserved, Otis developed a big cult following thanks to crate-diggers
and the rise of Acid Jazz (featuring tinges of Shuggie’s deft Psych
Soul). Though Otis has often been unjustly overlooked, his influence (on
artists like Prince and Lenny Kravitz, plus a whole new breed) is
undeniable.

Also performing at this year’s fest is a
younger cult hero, Kurt Vile. The critically acclaimed Vile makes
trippy, lo-fi Rock for the esteemed Matador label. This year’s MPMF will
also see the return of Dream Pop hero Trevor Powers, better known as
Youth Lagoon. Though lumped in with the “Chillwave” crowd, Powers’
latest, this year’s Wondrous Bughouse, is much more expansive and deeper than his debut. Youth Lagoon performed at 2011’s MPMF.

The rest of the artists added to
MPMF.13’s lineup: Wild Cub, On An On, Baths, Murder By Death, Bleached,
Saturday Looks Good To Me, Sam Fermin, Secret Colours, Nat Baldwin, The
Shilohs and Birds of Chicago.

Visit the music blog at citybeat.com for
more details (and song samples) from each of the MPMF performers (and
also, possibly, another big booking that couldn’t be confirmed by press
time).

Fountain Square and Washington Park, the
two hot, outdoor, 3CDC-run gathering spots in Downtown and
Over-the-Rhine (respectively) begin their summer outdoor concert series
this week. Both outdoor venues will feature regular themed music nights
on a weekly basis until the end of summer. Most events begin at 7 p.m.,
but visit the parks’ respective sites to make sure.

At the relatively new Washington Park
(which was remodeled and featured regular music for the first time last
year), the summer series begins Wednesday for the first of the weekly
Crown Jewels of Jazz nights; Mike Wade and the Jazz Ambassadors open
things up. Thursdays at the Park will be Bandstand Bluegrass night,
which kicks off this week with The Tillers. Friday Flow, the weekly
R&B/Soul/Funk night at Washington Park, kicks off this Friday at
7:10 p.m. with a group of young people from the Elementz youth center,
followed by Jon Schuyler and PJ Morton. Visit washingtonpark.org for
more info.

Fountain Square started its PNC Summer
Music Series with American Roots night on May 28. The series features
various Roots/Americana acts all summer; visit this Tuesday (June 4) to
catch The Kentucky Struts and The Turkeys. Wednesdays see the return of
Salsa on the Square, featuring dancing, dance lessons and live music
from area Salsa groups. Son Del Caribe opens things up this week.

Every Friday on the Square, the MidPoint
Indie Summer series (sponsored by the MidPoint Music Festival and
featuring a mix of local faves and touring artists) returns. Opening the
series are Cincinnati Indie Pop greats Pomegranates … or, as they will
be known officially from this show forward, Healing Power. Cincy Indie
Pop rockers The Yugos will put out their latest release at the show,
while the great Never Setting Suns open.

The incredibly popular “Beats” night,
presented by local promo group Self Diploma every Saturday, begins this
week with great Cincy Hip Hop acts The Natives, Olu and Puck, plus
Electronic/Dance star Chuck Inglish. For more information, visit
myfountainsquare.com.

The entire Washington Park/Fountain
Square lineups can be found at the music blog of citybeat.com, where you
can also read this week about Koala Fires, a new local music radio show
and more.